Daddy Day
by MadQuinn13
Summary: AU with Meredith on a long date Nathan is babysitting Claire and only amusing antics can happen.


Takes place in a AU where HRG never got Claire and Meredith didn't blow up the apartment building because she was in New York with Nathan and Claire. The can story is real only it was my mom that dropped it on me and I turned out fine...

Refences to the children's show the big comfy couch, it came out in Canada in 1992 but 1995 in the states.

Nathan was sitting in Meredith's apartment, she was going out with some Eric guy, she met him at a puppet show that she had to leave early because Claire was terrified of puppets, which Nathan thought was enough reason not to date the man, but Meredith was going out with him and Nathan was taking care of three year old Claire himself tonight, normally Claire wouldn't sleep without both parents home, but now that she was older, if only slightly she knew that it almost never happened and tried as she might her body would just give out on her. Meredith refused to move in with Nathan and also refused to let him take Claire to the mansion without her, his parents were horrible people and they weren't going to get their claws in Claire, her daughter as she put it.

Nathan was on the floor playing with Loonette and Molly dolls with Claire, she just fell in love with The Big Comfy Couch so Nathan went out and bought every single thing you could get for that show after all there was nothing his little girl could think of that he wouldn't buy her because he was going to be a much better father then his own, if Claire wanted to drop out of high school and be a actress fine he'd support her, tell her to really think about it but he'd support her.

He watched her head start to fall and her eyes close then bang she snapped it back up again. Nathan smiled leave it to him to notice when someone was fighting sleep. He had a feeling she only wanted to stay up to see Meredith come home.

"Somebody's sleepy." He teased picking up Claire and one of the dolls heading into Claire's bedroom where she had her own twin bed with The Big Comfy Couch sheets. He went to lay her down but she clung to his neck. "Claire do you want Daddy to lie down with you?" He tried to get her to let go. She nodded into him. Nathan laid down on the bed still trying to get her to let go.

"I want Mommy." The three year old whined. Nathan sighed, Claire had a TV and VCR in her room so she could watch a movie before she went to bed. Nathan figured the best way to get her to sleep since she wouldn't let go of him was to play a movie and hope she'd want to clutch the doll instead.

He got off the bed which was hard with Claire choking him and put in a Comfy Couch video. As soon as Loonette came on she loosened her hold and started looking for her doll. The only

Clowns she liked were the ones from the show. All others scared her. Nathan picked up the doll and tucked Claire in lying down next to her.

"Daddy, I want a kitty cat." She stated curled up in Nathan with the doll squeezed to her chest, now and then she's cuddled her nose into the doll's hair.

Nathan knew she didn't want a cat, she wanted Snicklefritz, the cat on the show which she had the doll version of. "Tomorrow we'll talk about it with mommy okay?" He knew Meredith would say no.

"Otay." She yawned her eyes closing. Nathan left the movie playing and waited until he was sure she was fast asleep before getting up and heading to the living room, he had two days left of his shore leave before he had to fly his plane back And be gone for a few more months only talking to Claire on the phone.

Nathan was watching the news it was boring as usual and the New York senator was doing a shit ass job. If he was senator he'd do everything different, keep his promises and only sign a bill if it helped the people not just himself. He glanced down the hall to Claire's half opened door. He would make her proud of her Daddy, even if he couldn't be with her every day because of the navy he was going to buy a plane and fly her off to where ever she wanted to go.

...

Next thing Nathan knew something or more likely someone was jumping on him yelling wake up.

"Daddy! Wake up! Wake up!" Claire was jumping on him, and when she came down she bent her legs and drove her knees in his chest.

He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from swearing. "I'm awake sweetie, why don't you go wake mommy." He gave a oomph before Claire stopped, her knees still in his chest.

"Mommy's not home yet, does this mean I get a Daddy weekend?" Her features were a mix of happiness and worry, it was quite a face. Nathan was pissed, he loved spending time with Claire and he had no problem taking care of her himself, infact he would love to have Claire all day every day, what he was pissed at was that Meredith who knows how Claire is, wouldn't even tell him that she might end up sleeping with the guy.

"Yeah sweetie we were planning to surprise you did it work?" He grinned, he hated lying to Claire but what was he suppose to do? Tell her mommy would rather have sex then come home to her? No not a option.

She nodded smiling at him as she laid down on Nathan.

He hugged her and they just stayed like that until Claire's stomach growled.

"How about we go out for breakfast?" He asked pushing the blonde locks out of her face.

"Can we go to the pancupcake place? " She was three so the words she did know we kind of a mix of all.

"Which one they all have pancakes." Nathan was use to translating what Claire was trying to say.

She pouted deep in thought. "I want to go to the purplely orange one." She decided on after long thought.

"Which one is that?" Nathan never took her to a purplely orange restaurant before.

"The one I went to when I had a weekend with Uncle Bert." She didn't know how Nathan didn't know it.

Nathan didn't know any Berts, he knew a year back Meredith was serious with a Bert but she wouldn't just leave Claire with a ex for a weekend and not tell him. She knew how furious he would be.

"Was this when you were two?" Claire didn't get the concept of last year so Nathan had to use age. Like when were a baby was up til let eat was two. Which apparently she remembers a lot of.

"Nu uh." She shook her head, watching TV again.

This was when Claire's misunderstanding of time was a pain.

"Was it after I left but before I came back?" Nathan didn't know a simple way to find out the date.

"No! Daddy it was before last night." Claire sighed. "Can we go now?" She looked annoyed, Nathan didn't think three year olds could be annoyed.

"Claire daddy doesn't know where you're talking about " He was thinking about where to go.

"Daddy its the purple orange one." Clearly Claire thought that was enough information. Nathan sighed. "Go get dressed then we'll go." He knew Claire would pick out her own clothes, chances were they wouldn't match but if he tried to get her into something else she'd throw a tantrum until she got her own way. Nathan knew she needed to get out of that but it was hard when he knew Meredith always gave in.

Claire jumped off Nathan and ran to her room, she needed some help getting dressed and reminded to wear underwear sometimes.

Nathan got up and started towards her room where the spotless room now had three drawers worth of clothes scattered on the floor.

"Something wrong sweetie?" He asked dodging a skirt.

"I got no clothes..." She looked like she was about to cry. He knew she would be hell as a teenager.

"Claire what's wrong with all the clothes you have here?" He pointed towards the piles of clothes on the floor. "Are they all dirty? Too small? Torn?"

She shook her head. "They're not for Daddy weekends, mommy said I have to wear something new."

Nathan rolled his eyes, of course Meredith had Claire thinking she had to be dressed to the nine when she was with Nathan.

He picked up a pair of jeans off the floor and a white t shirt and a pink sweater. "Here I love it."

Claire just stared at the clothes. "I'm not a homeless asshole." Meredith really needed to watch her mouth around Claire.

"Claire don't say that word. How about a different sweater?"

"No, Daddy mommy never makes me wear a sweater when I wear jeans..." She sat down on the floor with a sigh. "Daddy, who picks out your clothes?" Nathan was wearing a blue dress shirt and jeans.

"Is there something wrong with my clothes Claire?" Of course a three year old was going to lecture him on fashion.

"You should have the top open...Uncle Flint does." Of course she didn't know how white trash he was.

Nathan had enough he picked up the t shirt and jeans, grabbed Claire and got the girl changed with a lot of screaming and kicking and crying but it was done.

Now he had to brush her hair...

Claire was sitting on her floor hugging a stuffed eagle crying. She looked like someone killed her puppy not dressed her.

"Honey do you want to brush your hair or do you want me too?" He knew he was losing fast because she wouldn't even look at him. She only did this when Nathan was getting some can down for Meredith and didn't hear Claire walk in, well what she calls walking. He swore everything moved in slow motion, he saw Claire under him dragging the stuffed eagle he brought her after he finished training, felt the can slip and saw it fall, hit her one the head and watched her look up crying, her mouth inhumanly wide and the loudest highest pitched scream filled the room. Meredith ran in and picked Claire up trying to calm the child who was crying and uttering Daddy over and over again, but when Nathan would move closer to her she would cry harder. It wasn't until three months later she would even look at him. Finally she listened to Meredith and knew Daddy didn't mean to hurt her, and to this day she never ate food out of a can, well not if she knew it was in a can.

She pouted before taking the brush in her hands and ran in though her hair to her best ability and handed a hair elastic to Nathan who tied her hair back.

With his car loaded up and Claire in the back he started driving around looking for the purplely orange restaurant. He drove past five breakfast restaurants hearing Claire sigh and say "No, this one isn't it." He stopped by a bar with a gas station and hear Claire call out to him.

"Daddy, it's this one!" Great, not only did Meredith's ex take Claire for weekends but brought her to a bar...

"Claire, sweetie, that place is closed." Nothing wrong with lying to kids. "How about we go to the monkey one?" He started the car and drove away.

"Can I get the tub there?" Nathan just smiled, he liked it better when he actually understood Claire's messed up talk.

"'Course you can." Nathan turned on the kids tape and kept glancing back in the mirror at Claire, she was falling asleep. Car rides always did it.

When Nathan finally did get to the restaurant he had to wake Claire. She was cranky for a moment before Nathan told her where she was.

As they sat down at the table Nathan asked Claire what she wanted, after finding out the restaurant only had two things she wanted.

"Claire cake and pie are not breakfast, how about you eat a egg, one slice of toast and some meat." He didn't think he was asking a lot and he wanted to know she ate at least one healthy meal a month.

"Fine Daddy…" Claire pouted before cloroing in the monkey on her placemat, it was purple.

Nathan smiled just watching Claire color. She was growing up so much and he was missing it.

Once their food came Nathan tried to cut up the eggs and everything for Claire only to be yelled at and informed she can do it herself, and then have to help her with the knife after she almost cut herself with it.

"Now Claire do you have to use the bathroom before we leave?" He knew if he didn't ask her now they would be five minuets away and she would have to go.

"Nope." She smiled walking past Nathan to the car and turn back to him. "Daddy are you coming?" Nathan laughed picking her up on his way to the car.

He was driving for ten minuets before he heard Claire.

"Daddy, I gotta go." Nathan looked in the mirror and wasn't surprised, from now on he was making her go before they left.

"Claire we're almost home." He tried as he started to speed, even taking some right turns to avoid a red light.

"Daddy, I gotta go now." She whined.

"Claire why didn't you go when I asked if you had to?"

"I didn't have to go then." Claire sighed and looked out the window. "Daddy hurry up."

It was at times like this when Nathan cursed Meredith for finally potty training Claire.

"I am Claire but you can only go so fast." He was speeding as it was and he really didn't want Claire to have a accident it was a rental car after all.

Nathan cut off around twenty cars and finally made it to the apartment building where he barely stopped in time. He rushed to the back, picked up Claire and ran up to the apartment where he almost kicked the door down and ran with Claire to the bathroom.

Nathan closed the door, since Claire wanted her privacy, and was in the hall encase Claire needed him, he was sure with what but he figured that's why Dad's do.

Meredith was laughing as she opened her door giving the guy she was with a kiss goodbye and shut the door after her.

"Claire! Mommy's home." She saw Nathan was still there, that was good.

"Meredith you could've told me there was a chance you'd wouldn't be home!" Nathan was not going to let her off easy.

"I tried calling but see Nathan I don't actually know my number because I don't call myself. I don't see what the big deal is, you love spending time with Claire and Claire loves it when you sleepover so it was a win win. I got a nice little break and you and Claire got some bonding time. Where is she anyways?" Meredith did notice how Claire didn't run out to her.

"She's in the bathroom. You get breaks from Claire all the time, like how she has weekends with "Uncle Bert". I thought you'd agreed that we wouldn't leave with Claire with just anyone. Damn it Meredith, I want to know that my daughter is safe when I'm gone." He knew Meredith did this a lot.

"You left her in there alone?" Meredith didn't seem to care about the rest of what he said. She went right in the bathroom and saw the entire toilet paper roll going down the toilet.

"Mommy!" Claire grinned running over to Meredith. "Look I did it all by myself!" Meredith hugged Claire close.

"I see sweetie." She looked over at Nathan. "Call a plumber unless that's too much for you." She rolled her eyes. "Did you have fun with Daddy?" Meredith was heading into Claire room to fix her hair and change her clothes; honestly Nathan had no sense of style.

Nathan was brooding on the couch. He was a great father. It was Meredith that needed to be a better parent. He was changing the channels until Meredith came out with him and sat down with him.

"Let Claire pick out her clothes Nathan, she has better style then you." Meredith sighed as she leaned into Nathan. He smiled wrapping a arm around her, as a couple they sucked but as two friends with a kid they were pretty good.

"I did the first time but she said she had nothing to wear, when I suggest one outfit she said she wasn't a homeless asshole, can you try and keep the swearing down when she's around?" Nathan rolled his eyes as Meredith took the remote from him.

"I do keep my swearing down around her, Bert might not…she's having a nap, you must've really tired her out." Meredith gave a content sigh as she and Nathan just watched tv.

Nathan went to Claire's room where she was playing with her dolls and kissed her forehead. "Daddy has to leave sweetie but I'll be back as soon as I can and we'll do whatever you want again okay?" He smiled as he squeezed her tight and felt her to the same. Nathan put her down and kissed her again before leaving, it broke his heart knowing he was going to be away from Claire again, but at 23 he didn't really have a choice. Nathan grinned as he drove back to the airport and got in his plane. In two months he was coming back to see Claire, only this time it was going to be back in New York. Meredith promised him that they would be there for Christmas.


End file.
